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I have been proud to have this as my name since the day I was born, contrary to people who I meet now and again who believe that I took on the moniker after the popularity of the Clan of the Cave Bear series. Not so! Although I loved the story, it was always a little irritating to hear MY name being mispronounced. Not only by the neanderthal people who adopted Ayla, but by Ayla herself. (or perhaps more correctly, Jean Auel!)

My mother was born and raised in Turkey and she named me on my date of birth, FAR before there were ANY Clan of the Cave Bear books! (well, maybe not THAT far hehe!)

Ayla: which translated from Turkish to English means something to the effect of "moon" or "moonlight/moonbeam".

This is the first website I have ever seen that has offered a different meaning other than the more common "oak tree" (I cannot even say if that is a correct definition!)

I was always baffled by the fact that the Turkish meaning was nowhere to be found. Thank you Behindthenane.com for clearing up an issue that has been a never ending source of irritation to me; having to explain to all I meet that I was certainly NOT named after a TREE! :)